1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a recording apparatus and more particularly to a recording apparatus for producing a visual trace of the operating performance of a railroad locomotive with respect to the governor balance of a diesel engine relative to specific throttle settings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, locomotives used by the railroad industry today are complex machines mainly powered by diesel engines, driving an electrical generator which in turn supplies electrical energy to traction motors. Typically, the output of the diesel engine is controlled by a throttle acting through a governor which responds to changes in load to maintain the speed (RPM) of the engine at a set value for each throttle position. The positions of the governor at the throttle settings of the engine are known as the power balance positions of the governor. A locomotive may be considered to operate in a normal or non-normal manner in a particular throttle setting. For the most part, both normal and non-normal operation of the locomotive can be identified by the balance positions of the governor. For example, in normal operation, the governor tends to balance in a definite stable position relative to a particular throttle setting. However, the action of the governor may be unstable due to protective systems built into the governor control for preventing damage under temporary adverse conditions. For instance, one protective system may cause a temporary unstable governor balance by frequent instantaneous power reduction for reducing wheel slip under slippery track conditions. Another protective system may change the governor balance position without a change in throttle position for reducing power for preventing electrical damage at low locomotive speeds. Generally, these conditions are of no concern as they are of short duration relative to the overall operation of the locomotive.
On the other hand, there are many malfunctioning and deteriorating conditions which may occur during the operation of the locomotive which affect the balance of the governor controlling the diesel engine over extended periods of time. For example, the balance position of the governor may be unstable for extended periods due to uneven wheel wear causing excessive slipping of the locomotive wheels or the governor may never assume its normal balance position because the diesel engine may have plugged fuel lines, broken rocker arms, faulty turbocharging units and etc.
It has been discovered that if a record of the balance position of the governor controlling the speed (RPM) of the diesel engine during operation of the locomotive, is frequently observed, a determination can be made of normal or non-normal locomotive operation. If a non-normal operation is observed, action can then be taken so that preventative maintenance, service and/or repair of the locomotive can be performed prior to a potential breakdown. As contemplated by the invention, the record of the engine's governor balance positions is observed to determine if the locomotive (1) is functioning normally, (2) is excessively unloading, (3) is overloaded, (4) is operating at low power outputs for extended periods of time, (5) is operating between intermittent periods of normal and low power outputs or (6) the governor is excessively hunting or unstable for extended periods of time.